


Shattered Grief: A Study In Grief

by PhantomPhan16, VicenteValtieri



Series: Role Playing Fanfiction [7]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Death, Father-Son Relationship, Grief, M/M, Mother-Son Relationship, Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 11:50:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11290146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomPhan16/pseuds/PhantomPhan16, https://archiveofourown.org/users/VicenteValtieri/pseuds/VicenteValtieri
Summary: Cas is preparing for his wedding with Derek Arcan, when everything is destroyed. Thrawn is left drowning in grief over his son, and the Royal Family must try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and move on.





	Shattered Grief: A Study In Grief

**Author's Note:**

> The story centers around grieving a loss, so it is sad, fair warning.

Cas woke up on the last day of his life in a good mood. The sun was shining over the Palace, and Thrawn was standing in the doorway with a tray of breakfast in his hands. Cas’s mother was smiling as he set the tray down across Cas’s lap.

“Good morning, darling. How did you sleep?”

"Great, Mom. What's my schedule for today?"

"Well, first, you have to have breakfast. Then, we'll go out to the garden and look over the gazebo. I think you'll love the decorations and Father had a wonderful idea for the entrance: How do you feel about walking through a curtain of bubbles?"

"Bubbles? Wouldn't that ruin my make-up and get my dress wet? How about curtains of lilies?"

"That sounds beautiful too!" Thrawn smiled. "Then, Starscream is taking you to the mall with Carnelian to get a dress for the reception and after that, your bachelorette party."

Cas giggled, looking giddy. "Oh, Mom, I can't believe Derek and I are finally getting married!"

"I can't either, baby. I look at you and all I can see is you at four, putting a towel over your head, pretending to be a bride, and now the day is almost here."

His son hugged him, purring. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Cas."

Starscream flew into the room and pounced on both, pressing kisses to their cheeks. "Are you ready to find the second most important dress you'll ever wear, Cas?"

"You bet!"

Thrawn smiled, rubbing Starscream's wings. "Good morning to you too. Is Optimus up yet?"

"No, not yet." Starscream patted his cockpit. "But he should be soon. Come on, hurry up so we can go!"

Cas giggled and finished his breakfast. Thrawn hurried them out into the garden to see the preparations. The gazebo was robed in white drapes and the florist was fussing over the placement of holders for bouquets and arrangements. Cas swept in and placed them where he wanted, creating a beautiful look.

"Maybe some sapphire drapes, too," he said.

Thrawn nodded. "To go with your dress and the blue accents Arcan will have."

The florist snapped orders to her assistants and continued. Palpatine supervised it all calmly, leaning on his black cane. Cas trotted over and nuzzled his grandfather. Palpatine smiled.

"Good morning, Cas." He pressed a kiss to Cas's forehead.

"Morning, Grandpa."

Thrawn came over. "Go on to the mall, baby, Grandpa and I can handle things here for a while."

Carnelian whistled from near the palace and held up her keys, jingling them in the air. "Hey, Cas! The bus is leaving, be under it!"

He laughed and ran off. Starscream and Optimus were exchanging a heated good morning on the speeder's hood when Carnelian and Cas arrived. The Minister of Intelligence snapped a picture to interrupt them.

"You guys... I swear, since Starscream fell with spark, you two have been at it like petrorabbits."

They jumped apart, and Cas just shook his head. Optimus stood up and reached out to hug Cas.

"Good morning, Cas. Good morning, Carrier."

"Morning, Optimus. Excuse us while we steal your mate," Cas said, kissing his helm.

Starscream pressed another kiss to Optimus's lipplates before Carnelian lifted the convoy down to the floor.

"I love you, Optimus. Behave while I'm out!"

"I will. I love you, Starscream." Optimus blew the Seeker a kiss.

The trio set off to the mall and trooped to the dress store.

"This Calvin Klein is fabulous." Carnelian commented on a swirling dress with several layers of gossamer in shades of blue.

"It's beautiful," Cas said.

However he didn't pick it. They searched, and Carnelian was called away on business.

"Oh, shoot." She sighed, looking at her messages. "Hey, you two, I have to go, all right? Starscream, you're in charge of the credit chip, take Cas out somewhere nice for lunch and get a taxi home. I'll see you there."

"Bye, Aunt Carnelian."

They looked until Cas gasped. The dress was white with blue scrollwork on the midriff that became darker as it went down with two blue, translucent pieces of silk hanging down, overlapping one another. It reached the floor and split. The slit would go up past his knees. Starscream chuckled as Cas gazed at it and leaned against the human's neck.

"If I could wear clothes, I would wear that."

"That's the one, Star." They bought it and soon left the mall to go have lunch."

They had lunch at a beautiful Italian restaurant Carnelian frequented. After splitting a bowl of mussels in white wine, they each had a lovely entrée and split the tiramisu as well.  
 The taxi droid was just like the others, polite and obedient.

"We could detour to a doll store and get you some dresses, Star. Something for the bachelorette party and wedding," Cas giggled.

"Oh, I'd like to see Optimus's faceplates if I showed up in something like that. Where's a good one?" Starscream chortled.

"There's one near 10th and Main Ave, we could-"

The taxi jerked violently, the engine giving a mini explosion as it was struck with a blaster bolt. They began spiraling downward out of control. Cas fumbled for the eject button, but even as he did he knew he didn't have time before the fuel tank went up. He threw out a hand.

"STARSCREAM!!!"

The explosion was deafening to those nearby, and people screamed. Cas disappeared from the Force, and his bond with his mother snapped violently as Thrawn was in a meeting with his father and Imperial Court. Thrawn clutched at his chest, feeling as if his heart had stopped. No, it had stopped! Even as Palpatine reached over, reaching with the Force to give his life back, Thrawn flung himself outwards, towards where his baby had last been, deep in his soul... and found nothing.

The echo of violence, fear, and... death, but his baby, his precious baby, was gone.

Palpatine was speaking to him. He couldn't hear the words. Carnelian was bursting through the wall, through the room, and out the other side in a single, straight line towards the direction Cas and Starscream had last been in. Everything was silent in his ears until a voice, a single sentence, penetrated the silence. The voice of a guard.

"Prince Cas is dead."

And he couldn't feel a thing. The world suddenly became colder and his heart shattered irreversibly. The world was a haze. His chest hurt, burned. Then his father filled his vision, shaking him, and his voice finally broke through.

"Thrawn! BREATHE!!!"

Thrawn took in a gasp of air as if it was water, choking it down into his lungs to fester. Palpatine gathered him up into his arms and rocked him.

"Come back to me, baby. Come back."

Baby. His baby... He broke, tears came like a flood, sobs like howls that wracked his body.

Carnelian crashed her beloved speeder into the walkway in her haste to reach the site. She didn't even register the impact as a crash, just let it carry her out of the speeder and to the wreckage. Even as she approached, she knew there was nothing living in it. She grabbed the roof and pulled it open, searing her hands to the bone. There was her sweet nephew, nearly unrecognizable, seared and burned by the explosion. She pulled him out of the fire and laid him safely out of range of the flames. Then, she went back, tearing it apart to look for Starscream. But there was so much melted metal... so much burned plastic and leather... and he might have been knocked out, he was so much lighter than Cas, and flung down into traffic. She dropped onto the ground beside the speeder and laid her head into her ruined hands.

Troopers arrived, and with them Vader. He did not speak, not at first.

Then, an oddly sincere, "My condolences."

"Thank you, Lord Vader." Carnelian reverted to sarcasm and bitterness when she was too upset for anything else. "Find Starscream's frame if you can. Optimus needs something to bury, something for a Memory Pendant."

She stood up and a medic looked at her hands and winced.

"Ma'am, you need to go to a hospital."

"I am perfectly fine, Skids." Carnelian brushed him off. "I have to go home, where's-?" Her eyes fell on the wreck of her sleek, red speeder.

Vader came up beside her, Cas was wrapped up in the cyborg's cape and carried in his arms with surprising gentleness. "Come. I can handle an investigation with His Highness's body. I will see it returned to the Royal Family."

She followed him to his shuttle and to the palace. Thrawn was standing... sort of, and his eyes immediately landed on the black wrapped form in Vader's arms. His hands went to his mouth and he rushed forwards, stopping just short of the bundle.

"Is it...?"

"Yes. My deepest condolences, Your Highness," Vader rumbled.

Thrawn gently reached out and took the bundle, holding it like a baby. "Thank you, for bringing him back to me, Vader."

Arcan's voice called. "Imperial Prince!" He ran up to them. "Tell me it isn't true-" His eyes fell on the bundle. "Oh, Force..."

Palpatine stepped forward and put an arm around the man. The old man's face held grief and pain, and Arcan knew it was all true. Cas, his beloved Cas, was dead. Arcan put his face into the old man's shoulder and wept openly. Palpatine's eyes fell on Carnelian's hands.

"Carnelian, go to the medwing."

"I don't-"

"Carnelian, go!" The Emperor commanded.

She sighed but obeyed. Thrawn pressed his face the wrapped head and felt fresh tears. He could smell burnt hair and flesh dimly though the armor-weave cape. Palpatine put his other arm around his son and steered the two men back into the Palace. Another medic came forward with obvious intent on taking Cas's body to the morgue. Thrawn clutched the bundle.

"No, no, not yet... Please, no..."

The medic looked at Palpatine. Palpatine motioned him to back off for a moment. He gently turned to face his son.

"Give him to me, Thrawn."

Fora moment he clung a little harder, whimpering softly. Palpatine slipped his arms around Cas and pulled lightly, feeling Thrawn's grip slip slowly. He gave a choked sob as his son was taken completely from his arms. Arcan hugged his would-have-been mother in law as Palpatine handed Cas over to the medic with difficulty. The medic bowed and hurried off with his precious cargo. He nearly tripped over Optimus as the convoy shrieked around a corner and to the scene. The Prime transformed and scaled Palpatine so fast the Emperor could barely track his movement.

"Starscream? Where is he? He can't be- People are saying- It's not true! It can't be..."

"The medic just took Cas to the morgue, Optimus, but.... Starscream has yet to be found."

"Then there's a chance, isn't there? There's a chance they're safe, that they'll come home." The convoy babbled on in that vein and Palpatine hugged him gently.

"If Starscream is still alive, I have no doubt, he'll come home, Optimus."

He stroked the Prime's back. "Perhaps, Lord Vader has returned to lead the investigation. He'll find Starscream if he's still alive."

Optimus choked softly, clutching the Emperor and shaking. "He'll be fine... He's got to be fine! Millions of years of war only to die in a speeder wreck? Not Starscream. He'll be fine." The convoy hiccuped.

"I hope so, dear one."

Thrawn wasn't listening anymore. Grief seeped into his very bones. He felt hollow... empty. His baby, his precious child, was gone, and he could never get him back. He'd never wake him up again, hug him, kiss his forehead or cheek, never heard his baby laugh or see him smile. He found himself in a three-way embrace from Optimus, Palpatine, and Arcan. He sobbed. The day passed in a haze, and when Thrawn woke in the morning he didn't move. He just lay in bed, wishing the world would end or his heart would stop. What was his purpose now? His reason to live was gone.

  
He heard a knock at the door. He didn’t answer it, but Carnelian came anyway, with a tray of breakfast.

Carnelian hadn't gone to medbay. Instead, she had headed to her workshop where she forced her appendages to work for the last time. She always had had a tinkering project going on in the form of a pair of prosthetic hands. When she started them, she never imagined they were for her. Severing the limbs at the appropriate length was the easy part, attaching the silver metal servos was the hard one. At last, she finished, deep in the night, and flexed the new fingers. She picked up an engraving tool and went to work.

He didn't look at her. He could smell the food, but he felt no hunger.

“I know you’re not hungry.” Carnelian sat down beside Thrawn on the bed. “But you need food to be strong.”

Strong? What for? What even mattered anymore? His eyes were totally blanked as he looked at her.

Carnelian sighed. “Come on, Thrawn, you know I don’t do gentle therapy: I do blunt-force trauma. Just eat so my mind can be at ease for a little longer. You’re not the only one who’s lost a son.”

He wanted to hit her. It wasn't the same thing. She hadn't carried the Seeker in her womb for nine months after failed attempts to create a child. She hadn't fought through labor to bring him into the world. She hadn't raised him from infancy. Carnelian seemed to sense his thoughts and slapped him. Her blow was harder than normal.

"Don't you dare think that my loss is lesser because you had the luxury of birth. I lost Cas, Starscream-my son- and my grandchild today, Thrawn."

He shoved her away from him. He didn't want anyone around. He just wanted to curl up and cry if he couldn't die.

"Thrawn, you sit up, stop wallowing, and eat. Cas wouldn't want this."

Now he did punch her.

"Let. Me. Grieve," he rasped.

Carnelian jerked him up into a sitting position. "Sit up. Eat. You have to live long enough to bury Cas at least.:

Bury Cas. No parent should bury their child. The thought brought a whole new wave of pain and tears. Carnelian sighed and hugged Thrawn.

"I'm not in the habit of lying, so I'm not going to say it's okay, but you have to get up, Thrawn."

Palpatine came in. For a moment Thrawn wanted to hate how put together his father looked until he took in the grief and pain on his own face.

"Go on, Carnelian. I'll see to Thrawn."

Carnelian shot him a despairing look and nodded, standing up. "I'll find Optimus."

Palpatine embraced his son, moving to sit with him on the bed. "Come, darling, try to eat at little at least, please. At least the toast and a bit of egg if you don't want it all."

Thrawn leaned on his father. "I don't want anything..."

"I know, but you still need something, dear."

"The toast then."

Palpatine buttered the toast for him and held as him as he choked it down. Thrawn coughed slightly as he chewed the crust and pressed harder into his Father.

"Why?"

Palpatine rested his head on Thrawn's, holding him tight. "I don't know, my darling, I just don't know."

Thrawn began sobbing softly into his Father's shoulder. Palpatine patted his back and kissed his hair. "Shh... Shhh..."

"My baby. My baby," he wept.

"Shh..."

The Emperor hugged him tight and held him until he cried himself to sleep again. Palpatine stayed, his own tears running down his face. Cas. His sweet grandson, gone. Taken from them so violently. Carnelian and Lord Vader would find who was responsible, if there was someone responsible, but it could never bring his precious grandchildren back, or the great-grandchild he had loved as much.

Vader personally led the investigation. He wanted nothing to hinder or mess it up. The grief filling the Force was nearly suffocating. He wondered what would happen now that Cas was gone. He hadn't interacted a whole lot with the young Prince, but even as a child Cas had only hid from him once, and that was when they first met. After that the child had never cowered before him, braver than most of his own men.

"Minister," He greeted Carnelian and stared at her new, silver hands, engraved with symbols that appeared to both Starscream and Cas's name in every script possible. "We have made little progress, but the initial reports from the wreckage suggest that it was an expert sniper who shot the engine, causing the fuel tank to explode."

"Find them, and bring them to us alive, Vader."

"As you wish, Minister. We will not rest until they are found."

Carnelian nodded and dismissed the dark lord. She went looking for her second son. It wasn't hard to find him. All of the servants were avoiding a specific sitting room and miserable, low moans were emanating from it.

"Optimus?"

Carnelian pushed open the door and listened carefully. Optimus had climbed up the drapes and was curled up in one of Starscream's favorite spots in the valance, curled in what amounted to a hammock. He was moaning, low and heart-rending, the kind of grief that couldn't be expressed in tears.

She sighed and climbed up to him. "Oh, Optimus."

Optimus rolled onto his back and looked up at her. Coolant was dripping down his facplates and had stained the cloth beneath him. She picked him up and cradled him close. The convoy's servos clenched in her blouse and he buried his faceplates between her breasts, the moan starting up again.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Carnelian questioned.

She received a nod against her sternum. A lie she knew.

"Come on then." She headed for the kitchen.

Optimus sat on the counter while she poached an egg and fried some bacon. The cooks, constantly working, avoided the workstation she claimed. He ate without tasting, running seemingly on autopilot. Despite the working servants there was still a distinct feeling of the whole palace just being in shock.

Carnelian rested him on her shoulder and carried him out. The Prime leaned against her neck and cheek, making soft whuffing noises that weren't much better than the moaning. His servos were clenching her hair, pulling several strands out by the root, but she didn't complain.

"Mother!"

She turned as her adopted son, Ceol, came careening around the corner, returned from school on Belisma. He looked wild.

"Is it- are they- please no," he gasped out.

Carnelian caught him in her arms and hugged him close. "It's true, Ceol."

"Oh, Force. Cas... Star... no." He broke down in her arms.

Optimus slid down Carnelian's front to land on Ceol's shoulder and hugged the side of his head. Carnelian patted both with gentle hands and rocked. The funeral was arranged for the next day, Palpatine knew it needed to be done quickly. None of them truly had the strength to draw it out.

Optimus and Ceol had spent the night together, Carnelian had been busy going over the wreck again, testing every square inch for anything that might be Starscream. So far, she had found what amounted to less than a square centimeter of the Seeker's Beskad plating.

"You do realize that not sleeping is one of the signs of a guilty conscience." Palpatine commented, walking to his daughter's side and looking down into the petri dish. "There was nothing you could have done."

"I could have stay with them, drove them home myself. I could have saved them."

"Yes, and at the same time, you would have let a mole in our upper ranks get away scott-free. You couldn't know that Cas and Starscream weren't going to come home, so you had to respond to your duty. That's who you are. Get some rest, Carnelian. The funeral's this afternoon. We'll all need whatever strength we can scrape together."

Carnelian nodded and reached for a dark velvet box, lined in satin. She slid the remains of the Seeker into it and closed it.

"Good night."

"Good night, dear."

The morning that broke was met with loathing by the grieving family. The sun was shining bright and cheery. Thrawn wanted to scream at the very sky. How could the sun shine on a day like today, or ever again really? Carnelian glared up at it as well. For once, her funereal costume didn't stand out. Optimus had painted himself entirely black in accordance with their human traditions and Ceol was holding him like a teddy bear as they walked out onto the green where the wedding had been converted into a funeral.

Arcan was there, in the front row, staring at the polished oaken casket. He was shaking, his eyes bloodshot from crying and lack of sleep.

Carnelian sighed, staring at both caskets: The oaken box with its carved sides and the small, black velvet one. Both had tasteful arrangements of flowers and ribbons on them. She hated that florist. She hated the roses and lilies of the valley and the hydrangea and the daisies. She wanted to rip both arrangements apart and scatter them to the four winds. Thrawn thought similarly. Flowers? He had never questioned flowers at a funeral before, but now... now they seemed too beautiful and happy a thing for such a horrible day.

Optimus's optics lingered on the picture of Starscream he had chosen. It was a solo portrait, the Seeker sitting primly on top of a pumpkin and holding a bouquet of fall leaves. Carnelian had been going photo-crazy that Thanksgiving: It was the only solo photograph of Starscream that he had, all of the rest of them contained both Cybertronians.

The picture of Cas was a picture Arcan had taken at the family's beach cabin. Cas was smiling with the sand and ocean horizon behind him. Taken only three months earlier. Arcan looked down into his hands. He was holding a pink conch that they had found on that beach trip. He intended to lay it on the casket as they lowered it into the grave.

People spoke, sharing stories and giving condolences, but Thrawn and Arcan both could not find the strength to speak. As the casket was lowered Arcan lay the shell on it, and inside the shell sat the rings he and Cas would have worn as a married couple.

Optimus laid Starscream's favorite blanket over the casket before it was lowered. It was little more than a rag by now, but it had once been purple velvet with gold embroidery, a gift from the Emperor to the Seeker. Starscream had loved it.

Thrawn remained as the caskets were covered. He couldn't make himself move. Palpatine finally steered him away gently, feeling his son tremble.

Some kind soul had brought the floral arrangements into the sitting room where a light lunch had been prepared. Optimus tenderly poured water over the small arrangement that had graced Starscream's casket and stroked the greenery. Carnelian glared at the barrage of roses and fern. Did flowers always stink so badly? She might never look at one again. Thrawn sent Cas's arrangement with Arcan, he couldn't bear to look at it.

As soon as the guests were out of the way, Carnelian attacked one of the funeral wreaths, ripping it to pieces and scattering shreds of ribbon and petals everywhere. Thrawn did rescue one, the one of Mountain Lilies, Cas's favorite flower. He sent it with a servant to be hung on Cas's bedroom door.

Optimus gathered the miniature arrangements that had been brought for Starscream and carried them away to where they would be safe from Carnelian's rampage. Ceol helped him place them around Starscream's photograph in the Cybertronian's "house" in what had once been a hall closet.

Vader had attended the funeral, but now he was back on the hunt. He sent Piett off as well. His brother served as both an Admiral and sometimes even an assassin. He also called in any and every favor he thought would help. The Royal Family needed answers, and he intended to get them answers.

Carnelian finished rampaging and retired to her workshop. She formed a fragment of the saved Beskad into a falling star- a Memory Pendant- and engraved Starscream's name on the back. Stringing it on a length of ribbon, she went to find her son.

Optimus was in their house just... sitting, lost in memories.

"Hey." Carnelian greeted the convoy. "I brought you something."

He looked blankly at her.

Carnelian held out the pendant. "Sorry I didn't make it in time for the funeral. It was a hard night."

He took it and held it close. "Thank you."

Carnelian looked over at the flowers and photo. "Don't hole yourself up in here too much, okay?"

"I'll try." She knew that was the best she'd get.

Though the world kept on spinning, life was hard. Just waking up was nearly impossible for Thrawn. Everyday was another without his baby. Arcan took to drinking, unable to cope with the pain. Carnelian put Optimus on suicide watch after she caught him hanging off of a balcony. Ceol took that burden up, taking Optimus everywhere with him as the young student wandered about the palace. He was a spectre, and Optimus a familiar in their shared grief.

Sucide, however, did come about. A month after the funeral, Thrawn was sitting with his family in the garden when a guard came to inform that Arcan had hung himself.

Even sunken into grief, the loss hurt Thrawn, and he hugged himself. "No..."

Palpatine set a hand on his son's shoulder. "Make arrangements for a wreath to be sent at once, assure Arcan's family that we will attend."

"At once, Your Majesty." The guard bowed and left.

They attended the funeral, and Thrawn was gently asked if Arcan could be lain beside Cas.

"Of course.... It's all right..." Thrawn murmured to the grieving family. "Go ahead."

They thanked him, and Arcan was lain to rest beside Cas.

While they were having lunch afterwards, Ceol realized he had lost track of Optimus. He immediately panicked and began searching frantically for the Prime. He found him out in the cemetery, tending to Starscream's grave. Ceol breathed a sigh of relief when he realized the convoy was just leaving a new rose beside the head stone. The convoy looked up at him.

"I'm right here."

He hugged him. "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry." Optimus sighed. "I just... I saw the rose was broken off in one of the arrangements and I thought I would get out of the pack for a bit."

"All right, just tell me next time so I don't worry."

"Sorry." Optimus dropped his helm onto Ceol's shoulder.

"I know." Ceol kissed his helm. "Life got so messed up so fast."

Optimus's vents hitched. "I woke up yesterday, and I reached for him. Last evening, I left the shower on while I slept so I could wake up and pretend he was just there..."

"I keep playing Cas's favorite song on the panio, telling myself if I keep doing it eventually he'll come in and listen," Ceol responded, choking a bit.

The convoy sobbed and gripped Ceol's jacket. "We're all a mess, aren't we?"

"Yeah."

Ceol didn't have any of Carnelian's power, not at the best or the deepest, but he had one ability. He could feel danger approaching. He jerked to the side suddenly and rolled behind a tombstone.

 Optimus clung to him and looked to see what was happening.

A shot from a rifle took out a wing on Starscream's monument, burning the new rose by the graveside. If they had been there, it would have hit Ceol in the temple. He heard his mother scream above and a mechanical... roar... probably Vader, as they engaged the shooter. Thrawn and Palpatine appeared in the doorway. Carnelian knelt on the edge and sniped the sniper back. Vader went to retrieve the body while she swung down to the grass.

"Ceol, Optimus? You all right?"

"We're all right, Mother."

"I got the bastard in the leg." Carnelian growled, looking at the trajectory of the shot. "Oh, I'm sorry, Optimus."

He swallowed. "Well... better that than Ceol's head," he managed. Vader returned, the sniper in hand. "I've opened his mind already. It's him."

That was all it took for Thrawn. He drew himself to full height.

"Give him to me."

Vader hauled the man by the nape of his neck then threw him at Thrawn's feet. The leg wound prevented him from standing. Something dark seemed to have taken over Thrawn. He grabbed the assassin and threw him into the trunk of his speeder.

"I'll be back later."

"I'm coming too." Optimus jumped out of Ceol's arms.

Thrawn scooped him up and drove away. Ceol looked between the three older adults.

"Will they be all right?"

"They're not the kind to go for a suicide pact. Vader, what information do you have?"

"There was one assassin. There were two shots, one to the fuel tank, one to the engine. He didn’t know who hired him, but it was for a very large sum: Fifteen million.”

"We can check bank records, look for a transaction." Carnelian nodded.

"I have an account number used to transfer credits to the assassin. Probably under an alias, but it brings us a step closer."

"There's always a trail when you deal in that kind of money." Ceol agreed. "I'm in accounting fraud at Law School right now. Let me do some digging."

"All right, Ceol. Lets make them pay," Carnelian said.

He sneered. "I intend to."

Vader gave him the number, and he left to get to work.

Meanwhile, Thrawn and Optimus had reached their destination: A deserted rooftop far from any surveillance. The assassin was hauled out of the trunk by the vengeful mother.

“Is this how you treat every prisoner, Imperial Prince? This is downright barbaric.”

He yanked the man up to meet his burning, grief ravage gaze.

"You killed my son. You murdered my baby. You're not a prisoner, you're a dead man walking."

“Not to mention my bonded and our child.” Optimus agreed.

“It’s nothing personal, just a job. We all have to make a living.”

"Then tell me who hired you."

“Look, I don’t know any of my clients. Better for them, better for me. I get payed through secured accounts under pseudonyms and people get me the message out with coded messages online.”

"Then as far as I'm concerned, you're the only one responsible," Thrawn growled.

“Hey, killing me won’t bring them back!”

Optimus looked over the edge. “If we lit him on fire and threw him off, do you think the fall or the flames would kill him first?”

"I don't know, but I'm eager to find out."

"It wasn't-"

"Why were you hired to kill my son?!"

"I don't know! I was hired through the net, you don't get to ask questions!" He huffed a breath. "The username was LadiesMan217!"

Thrawn sent that to Carnelian, and she and Vader plowed through the next like saber cats hunting a meal.

Carnelian replied. "LadiesMan217 is connected to a dummy account that was accessed from the public library."

 Thrawn broke two of the assassin's fingers. "Try again."

"That's all I know, I swear!"

"Hang on... There's surveillance feed. Oh, shit!"

*What, Carnelian?*

*You're not going to believe this!* Carnelian sounded ecstatic. *I just got an e-mail from shootingstar@gmail.com! It's confirmed what this surveillance video is saying: It was Camille Koreau!*  
  
Thrawn snarled. *Do NOT engage! He's MINE!*

*He's all yours. I have a date in SoHo, don't wait up.* There was a moment's pause. *Okay, save something for me, but nothing too major.* Then, she was gone.

Camille was drinking his tea as he read a mystery novel when the door opened.

"Camille."

He jumped up. "Your Highness!"

Suddenly Thrawn's hand was on his throat. "You son of a bitch!"

Camille struggled in Thrawn's hand. "Your highness...?"

"You hired someone to kill my son!" His face crumbled for a moment. "You killed my baby."

He became enraged briefly. "He stole Arcan from me!"

He was shaken.

"You needed to accept it! Now they're both dead! You..." Tears slid down Thrawn's face. "You took my child from me, Camille. Forever. I'll never see him again."

Camille could hardly breathe, much less speak. Thrawn was shaking with rage and fresh sorrow.

Optimus found his glossa. "You're a fragging terrorist, Camille. I hate you, it's not an emotion I like feeling, but I hate you."

"Optimus, find a lighter or something to start a fire."

Optimus found a box of matches. There was a wicked look of glee in his optics that would have made Thrawn nervous at any other time. This time, however, it was matched by the Prince. Camille shrieked as the edge of his robe was lit. Thrawn threw him over the balcony, looking over as the flames consumed the man who had taken his baby from him in petty jealousy.

Optimus peered down. "What do you think?"

"I think he was probably still alive when he hit the bottom." Thrawn stated.

He scooped up the Prime.

*Father.* *Thrawn,* *It's done. Camille and the assassin are dead.*

There was a wave of relief from the other end. *Thrawn... Bring Optimus back to the Palace. There's something he needs to see, but I'm afraid it's going to be hard for you.*

The others were waiting in the garden when Thrawn and Optimus returned.

"What's going on?" Optimus asked.

Carnelian was cradling something in her lap. She pulled her hands away from it, revealing the battered, scratched frame and wings.

"Starscream!"

He slid down Thrawn and ran to him. Starscream slid down Carnelian's leg and Optimus caught him up, pressing him close and breathing in the Seeker. A patch of his Beskad had been pulled away from his wing- the remains Carnelian had found- and he was covered in a million tiny wounds, but he was alive.

"Star. How...?"

"Cas. He used the Force and pushed me out of the speeder."

Optimus kissed his helm, peppering it. "Why didn't you come straight home?"

"I was knocked out. My wing... Well, it's pretty torn up, as you can see, and I couldn't fly for a few hours. It wasn't fun. I landed in a low-level dive and began listening in. I hacked into a computer and began doing research." Starscream pressed his face into Optimus's shoulder.

"It's over now, Star. Camille is dead."

"So the Emperor tells me... Optimus, I have to tell you something..."

"What is it, love?"

"Optimus,... the Sparkling... it... it didn't make it."

Optimus hugged Starscream closer. "You being alive... is miracle enough for now."

Thrawn watched this, and he couldn't even feel happy. His heart just broke even more. Optimus got his mate back. He would never get his son back.

Palpatine set a hand on Thrawn's shoulder. "Thrawn?"

"I need to be alone," he said, going to his room.

He curled up in the bed and sobbed himself to sleep. The fountain was a peaceful sound in the garden as he sat on the edge. Someone hugged him from behind.

"Hi, Mama."

Thrawn smiled. "Cas, there you are."

He turned and kissed his baby's forehead. His baby curled against him.

"Mom, try to stay strong, all right? I know it's hard."

At those words the fog lifted, and he knew. He remembered. Tears pricked in his eyes.

"Oh, Cas... I miss you so much."

"I know, Mom."

He pressed against his mother. He felt so real!

Thrawn buried his face in Cas's shoulder.

"I love you, Mommy."

"I want to stay, Cas... I don't want to go back. You were my everything, there's nothing for me there."

"What about Grandpa?"

"He has Carnelian and Optimus and Starscream. You saved Starscream, Cas. Only the sparkling died. I don't want to leave, go back there, where everyone has their happiness back but me."

Cas sighed.

Palpatine felt it at dinner. He felt Thrawn disappear. He jerked upright.

"Carnelian, come with me!"

Practically leaping out of his seat, he raced down the corridors towards the bedrooms. Carnelian was close behind. He burst into Thrawn's room, flew to his son's side, and found him cold and still... but with a soft smile on his face. Carnelian approached slowly as Palpatine caressed Thrawn's forehead with a trembling hand.

"Am I to bury everyone I love?"

Carnelian pulled the Emperor close to her body and kissed his forehead.

Thrawn was lain on Cas's otherside, and Palpatine named Ceol his heir. Carnelian had refused it herself. Starscream and Optimus attended the funeral in full black, and grieved their lost family together.

Palpatine never fully recovered from his loss and fell deathly ill five years later. The night was oddly quiet, and then... he could see them! His precious son and grandson. They were smiling and holding their arms out to him.

Carnelian was stroking his hair as he went. Blunt-Force Therapy did not apply at that moment.

"Rest well," she said softly.

These words were not just for him but for all of them. For a moment she swore a feather light, ghostly kiss touched her cheek,... and she smiled. They were at peace at last after so much pain.

**Author's Note:**

> This was depressing to write.


End file.
